The Colorado Rockies have selected John Axford's contract, adding a veteran reliever with late-inning experience to their bullpen.
Axford, who agreed to a minor league deal last month, gets a $2.6 million, one-year contract with a chance to earn more in performance bonuses. The 31-year-old right-hander was 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 62 games with Cleveland and Pittsburgh last year...

During Sunday night's marathon Academy Awards broadcast, best adapted screenplay Oscar winner Graham Moore used his minute-plus to deliver a powerful message about individuality and self-worth (you can watch above). Here's what some professional athletes had to say about Moore's speech:
JOHN AXFORD TRIES, FAILS TO THROW ANOTHER PERFECT OSCARS GAME
Last year, film enthusiast and...

You just knew the streak had to end.
After going 18-for-18 predicting the Academy Award winners a year ago, John Axford had a steep hill to climb Sunday night if he wanted to duplicate his performance. Plus, the Colorado Rockies reliever did himself no favors by upping the ante and including all 24 categories up for an Oscar.
So…how’d he do?
I am not angry at all that Birdman...

John Axford pitched a perfect game at the Oscars last year, but the hits came early and often this time around.
The Colorado Rockies relief pitcher and film buff drew headlines in 2014 when he amazingly went a perfect 18-for-18 in his predictions for Oscar winners.
Naturally, Axford decided to try his hand again in 2015 but upped the ante this time, offering...

Last year, John Axford shocked the world when he went a perfect 18-for-18 with his Academy Awards picks, but, because the internet is what it is, people got all up in arms because the newly inked Colorado Rockies reliever didn’t go full-Oscar and predict winners for all 24 categories.
Welp, Axford is at it again. And this time, he included everything.
But get this, the reliever...

Cody Allen entered the 2014 season as a setup man for the shaky incumbent John Axford, whose face is usually adorned with an excellent mustache. Unfortunately for Axford the only strong point to his game was his mustache, and in late May he lost his job to the 25-year-old Allen. Allen now enters 2015 as the closer for an Indians club that expects to make some noise in the AL Central...

Reliever John Axford has agreed to a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies and will try to earn a job as a setup man for closer LaTroy Hawkins.
Axford was 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 62 games with Cleveland and Pittsburgh last year, when he struck out 63 and walked 36.
In six seasons in the major leagues, Axford is 24-23 with a 3.40 ERA and 116 saves, including 10 for Cleveland...

DENVER (AP) Reliever John Axford has agreed to a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies and will try to earn a job as a setup man for closer LaTroy Hawkins.
Axford was 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 62 games with Cleveland and Pittsburgh last year, when he struck out 63 and walked 36.
In six seasons in the major leagues, Axford is 24-23 with a 3.40 ERA and 116 saves, including...

Former Cy Young winner Barry Zito will throw for a group of Major League clubs on Tuesday reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden.
Zito sat out the entire 2014 season after finishing 2013 with a 5.74 ERA in 133 1/3 innings of work.
Set to be 37 in May, it is unclear how much Zito could offer to any club. He figures to generate some interest but will surely have to accept an incentive laden...

Word is out, via Jon Heyman, of CBSsports.com, that the Blue Jays have been among the teams kicking the tires on Simcoe, ON’s own John Axford:
things heating up for john axford. four teams in. blue jays are looking at the ontario native, among others.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 9, 2015
Axford played his college ball at Canisius and Notre Dame before signing...

As we start the new year, it appears John Axford may be viewed as a new man. One who can compete for a closer’s job again. Could he be returning home to Canada to play for the Blue Jays?
things heating up for john axford. four teams in. blue jays are looking at the ontario native, among others.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 9, 2015
John Axford has struggled to find...

John Axford has taken a tour around the National League Central. First he became one of the best closers in the game with the Milwaukee Brewers, but years later he lost his job and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. After winning a World Series with the Cardinals, he signed with the Cleveland Indians and later pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now MLB.com's Mark Sheldon ...

According to Cincinnati Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon, a source told MLB.com today that the Reds are interested in free agent relief pitcher, John Axford.
Axford had a great year in 2011 in which he posted a 1.95 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers and recorded 46 saves that year as well. Since then, Axford has struggled to find the same success he found in a Brewers uniform in 2011...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that infielder Chase d’Arnaud and pitchers John Axford and Jeanmar Gomez have all been outrighted and all three are now minor league free agents. Both Axford and Gomez were designated for assignment last week to make room for Justin Sellers and Charlie Morton, who needed to be activated from the 60-day disabled list. Chase d’Arnaud was still...

John Axford's long ride back to becoming a major league closer took another turn for the worse as Rob Biertempfel reported that he has been designated for assignment as the team acquired Justin Sellers. #455259736 / gettyimages.com #pirates have DFA'd pitchers Jeanmar Gomez and John Axford.— Rob Biertempfel (@BiertempfelTrib) October 25, 2014At one point Axford was the...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated pitchers John Axford and Jeanmar Gomez for assignment. In a separate transaction, they acquired 28-year-old infielder Justin Sellers from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations. Charlie Morton has also been activated from the 60-day disabled list, meaning the 40-man roster remains filled.
Sellers has played parts of the last four seasons...

Tonight the Pittsburgh Pirates will take on the San Francisco Giants, hosting the NL Wild Card Game for the second straight year at PNC Park. Last year, the Wild Card Game featured one of the best baseball atmospheres I’ve ever witnessed. The players noticed this as well.
“It was unbelievably loud. I couldn’t hear myself talk,” Andrew McCutchen said. “You’ve got 40,000...

MILWAUKEE -- John Axford had every intention of finishing his season with the Cleveland Indians.
After spending his entire major-league career in the National League Central, the former closer of the Milwaukee Brewers wasn't planning on returning to the Miller Park mound in the middle of a pennant race.
But everything changed when the Pittsburgh Pirates put in a waiver claim on Axford...

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen left the team’s 5-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals with left rib discomfort. McCutchen left Tuesday’s game in the sixth inning because his ribs were feeling “just sore” and to “take a little break” that will allow him to return for Wednesday’s finale against the Cardinals. “The plan is to play [Wednesday],”...

WASHINGTON (AP) The Pittsburgh Pirates have put right-hander Stolmy Pimentel on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained right ankle and activated right-handed reliever John Axford.
The Pirates made the moves before Friday night's game at Washington.
Pittsburgh claimed Axford off waivers Thursday from the Cleveland Indians. The 31-year-old was 2-3 with 10 saves and a 3.92...

CLEVELAND -- With the odds of the Indians deciding to re-sign John Axford next season extremely slim, it didn't exactly break general manager Chris Antonetti's heart that the Pirates claimed Axford on waivers on Thursday.
"We talked through a variety of alternatives with the Pirates but what enabled us to make the move was our belief in some of the other guys that have come up and...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed John Axford off waivers on Thursday, the team probably did not expect that the relief pitcher would so wholeheartedly greet the sudden change of scenery. So much so, in fact, that Axford, something of an eccentric fellow in his own right, outfitted himself in full pirate garb in order to […] The post Avast ye matey, John Axford dons Pirate garb...

John Axford knows how to make a good first impression.
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed the 31-year-old right-handed reliever off waivers from the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, and Axford was quick to greet his new fanbase with a hello they would really appreciate.
#AhoyPittsburgh http://t.co/1FORchsEWw— John Axford (@JohnAxford) August 15, 2014
Axford, who will soon trade in his...

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired relief pitcher John Axford yesterday from the Cleveland Indians. The acquisition was a straight waiver claim. Cleveland had the option of retaining Axford by pulling him off of waivers. Instead the Indians chose to allow Axford to go to the Pirates. The Indians get nothing in return. The Pirates do assume the remainder of Axford’s contract. He is...

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